UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`15/810,589
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`11/13/2017
`
`AYAKO HORIUCHI
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`731456.452C1
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`2305
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`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
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`DANIEL JR” WILLIE J
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`ART UNIT
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`2462
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`05/07/2020
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`US PTOeACtion @ SeedIP .Com
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`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`017/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/810,589
`Examiner
`WILLIE J DANIEL JR
`
`Applicant(s)
`HORIUCHI et al.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2462
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 02/12/2020.
`CI A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a). This action is FINAL.
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`2b) D This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4):] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expade Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)
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`Claim(s)
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`1—6,10 and 12—15 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`
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`[:1 Claim(ss)
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`is/are allowed.
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`8)
`Claim(s 1 —6, 10 and 12— 15 is/are rejected.
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`D Claim(ss_) is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`S)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[:1 Claim(s
`* If any claims have been determined aflowable. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
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`10)|:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`is/are: a)[] accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)D Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)I:l All
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`b)|:] Some**
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`c)l:I None of the:
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`1C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3D Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1) [3 Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) E] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 03———01
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1. This action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 12 February 2020. Claims 1-6,
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`10, and 12-15 are now pending in the present application and claims 7-9 and 11 are
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`cancelled.
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`Notice ofPre-AIA 0r AIA Status
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`2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Priority
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`3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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`4. Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)—(d)
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`prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign
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`application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
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`Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non—
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`English application.
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`Election/Restrictions
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`5. Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1—6, 10, and 12—13 in the reply filed on 30
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`November 2019 is acknowledged.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 3
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`6. The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on
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`a. 07 January 2020
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`is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and is being considered by the
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`examiner.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 US C § 103
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`7. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness
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`rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not
`identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the
`prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective
`filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed
`invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`Claim(s) 1-6, 10, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`3GPP TSG RAN WGl #81 (hereinafter 3GPP) (RI-153567) in view of further support by
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`3GPP TSG RAN WGl #81 (hereinafter 3GPP-#2) (RI-152954).
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`Regarding claims 1, 10, and 12-13, 3GPP discloses a base station comprising:
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`control circuitry which, in operation, determines, based on a first offset for defining a
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`frequency position of a narrowband allocated to an MPDCCH and a resource block group
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`(RBG) size of a system band, allocations of a first EPDCCH (enhanced physical downlink
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`control channel) set and a second EPDCCH set that constitute the MPDCCH (Machine—Type
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`Communications physical downlink control channel), the MPDCCH being a PDCCH
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`(physical downlink control channel) for MTC (Machine—Type Communications), the
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`first EPDCCH set including a first plurality of RBG groups and a first number of PRBs
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`(physical resource blocks), the second EPDCCH set including a second plurality of RBG
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 4
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`groups and a second number of PRBs, the first plurality of RBG groups and the second
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`plurality of RBG groups being different from each other, the first number of PRBs and the
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`second number of PRBs being different from each other { (see pp./slides 2—5) }; and
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`a transmitter which, in operation, transmits a control signal using either the first
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`EPDCCH set or the second EPDCCH set { (see pp./slides 2—5) },
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`wherein the control circuitry, in operation, controls a number of RBGs in which both the
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`first EPDCCH set and the second EPDCCH set are allocated to be zero or one { (see
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`pp./slides 2—5) }.
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`3GPP clearly discloses the feature(s) indicated above as evidenced by the fact that
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`one of ordinary skill in the art would clearly recognize. However, in the alternative, the
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`examiner maintains that the feature(s) the first plurality of RBG groups and the second
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`plurality of RBG groups being different from each other, the first number of PRBs and the
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`second number of PRBs being different from each other was well known in the art, as taught
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`by 3GPP-#2.
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`As further alternative support in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP—#2 discloses the
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`feature(s) the first plurality of RBG groups and the second plurality of RBG groups being
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`different from each other, the first number of PRBs and the second number of PRBs being
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`different from each other { (see section 2; Figs. la—b), where the system has PRB groups with
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`different definitions (see section 3; Figs. 2a—c) }.
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`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time
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`the invention was made to combine the teachings of 3GPP as further alternatively supported
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`by Ref. 3 to have the feature(s) the first plurality of RBG groups and the second plurality of
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`RBG groups being different from each other, the first number of PRBs and the second
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 5
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`number of PRBs being different from each other, in order to provide PRB group definition,
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`resource allocation and hopping, as taught by 3GPP—#2 (see section 1).
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`Regarding claim 2, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every limitation
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`claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the base station
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`according to claim 1, wherein when the RBG size is 2, the first EPDCCH set is composed of
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`two contiguous PRBs corresponding to one RBG in the narrowband and the second
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`EPDCCH set is composed of four PRBs corresponding to the remaining PRBs in the
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`narrowband { (see pp./slides 2—5) }.
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`Regarding claim 3, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every limitation
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`claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the base station
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`according to claim 1, wherein when the RBG size is 3, the first EPDCCH is set composed of
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`four contiguous PRBs corresponding to two RBGs in the narrowband and the second
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`EPDCCH is set composed of two PRBs corresponding to the remaining PRBs in the
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`narrowband { (see pp./slides 2—5) }.
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`Regarding claim 4, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every limitation
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`claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the base station
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`according to claim 1, wherein when the RBG size is 3, the first EPDCCH set is composed of
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`two PRBs corresponding to an RBG having two or more PRBs in the narrowband and the
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`second EPDCCH set is composed of four PRBs corresponding to the remaining PRBs in the
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`narrowband { (see pp./slides 2—5) }.
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`Regarding claim 5, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every limitation
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`claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the base station
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`according to claim 1, wherein when the RBG size is 4, the first EPDCCH set is composed of
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 6
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`four PRBs corresponding to an RBG having four PRBs in the narrowband and the second
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`EPDCCH set is composed of two PRBs corresponding to the remaining PRBs in the
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`narrowband { (see pp./s1ides 2—5) }.
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`Regarding claim 6, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every limitation
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`claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the base station
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`according to claim 1, wherein when the RBG size is 4 and there is no RBG having four PRBs
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`in the narrowband, the first EPDCCH set is composed of two PRBs corresponding to an RBG
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`having three PRBs in the narrowband and the second EPDCCH set is composed of four
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`PRBs corresponding to the remaining PRBs in the narrowband { (see pp./s1ides 2—5) }.
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`Regarding claim 14, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every
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`limitation claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the
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`base station according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry, in operation, determines,
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`based on a second offset different from the first offset, allocations of a third EPDCCH set
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`and a fourth EPDCCH set that constitute the MPDCCH, the third EPDCCH set includes a
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`third plurality of RBG groups and a third number of PRBs, the fourth EPDCCH set includes
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`a fourth plurality of RBG groups and a fourth number of PRBs, the third plurality of RBG
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`groups is different from the first plurality of RBG groups and the second plurality of RBG
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`groups, and the fourth plurality of RBG groups is different from the first plurality of RBG
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`groups and the second plurality of RBG groups { (see pp./s1ides 2—5) }. As a note, 3GPP—#2
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`at the least further discloses the feature(s) wherein the control circuitry, in operation,
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`determines, based on a second offset different from the first offset, allocations of a third
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`EPDCCH set and a fourth EPDCCH set that constitute the MPDCCH, the third EPDCCH set
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`includes a third plurality of RBG groups and a third number of PRBs, the fourth EPDCCH
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 7
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`set includes a fourth plurality of RBG groups and a fourth number of PRBs, the third
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`plurality of RBG groups is different from the first plurality of RBG groups and the second
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`plurality of RBG groups, and the fourth plurality of RBG groups is different from the first
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`plurality of RBG groups and the second plurality of RBG groups { (see section 2; Figs. la—b),
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`Where the system has PRB groups with different definitions (see section 3; Figs. 2a—c) }.
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`Regarding claim 15, the combination of 3GPP and 3GPP—#2 discloses every
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`limitation claimed, as applied above (see claim 1), in addition 3GPP further discloses the
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`base station according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry, in operation, assigns a data
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`signal to PRBs that are not allocated to the first EPDCCH set and the second EPDCCH set {
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`(see pp./slides 2—5) }.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 8
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`Response to Arguments
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`Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1—6, 10, and 12—15 have been considered
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`but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the amended language,
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`new limitations, and/or new claims.
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`In response to applicant’s arguments, the Examiner respectfully disagrees as the
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`applied reference(s) provide more than adequate support and to further clarify (see the above
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`claims for relevant citations and comments in this section).
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`Conclusion
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this
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`Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a).
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`Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR l.l36(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO
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`MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until
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`after the end of the THREE—MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory
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`period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to
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`37 CFR l.l36(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event,
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`however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of
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`this final action.
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`10.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to WILLIE J DANIEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272—
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`7907. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 — 6.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/810,589
`Art Unit: 2462
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`Page 9
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in—person, and video conferencing
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`using a USPTO supplied web—based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is
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`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at
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`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached on (571) 272—3927. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
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`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published
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`applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information
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`57 l-272— 1000.
`
`/WILLIE J DANIEL JR/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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`WJD,Jr
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`04 May 2020
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`